American School of Lima

Campus Atmosphere and Physical Environment

The American School of Lima occupies a sprawling 23-acre (approximately 93,000 m²) campus in the Camacho neighborhood of the La Molina district of Lima — one of the city's most affluent and residential areas. For context, this is a rare footprint for an urban school in a Latin American capital, and it contributes significantly to the school's distinctive atmosphere: spacious, green, and purpose-built for holistic education.

Divided by Division, United by Campus

The campus is thoughtfully organized into separate buildings for Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. This division allows each age group to have an environment calibrated to their developmental stage, while all divisions share the broader campus community. Students from different age groups interact in shared athletic, dining, and outdoor spaces, creating a genuine sense of school-wide community.

Academic Facilities

• Seven specialized science laboratories — physics, chemistry, biology, and more
• Technology-equipped classrooms throughout all divisions
• Specialized libraries for different grade bands
• Computer labs supporting coding, research, and digital literacy

These facilities support FDR's rigorous IB and AP curricula, ensuring students have hands-on access to the tools their coursework demands.

Athletic and Recreation Infrastructure

FDR's athletic facilities are widely cited as among the best of any school in Peru:

• Semi-Olympic swimming pool — used for competitive swim training and physical education
• Soccer fields (football pitches) — supporting Lima's most popular sport at competitive levels
• Baseball and softball diamonds — reflecting the school's American heritage
• Basketball courts — both indoor and outdoor
• Volleyball courts
• Track and field facilities
• Two indoor gymnasiums — supporting year-round indoor sports

Arts and Performing Arts

Beyond sports and academics, the campus houses dedicated performing arts facilities, including auditoriums and music rooms. These support a rich program of band, orchestra, choir, and drama — activities that are integral to FDR's commitment to well-rounded development.

Student Wellness and Services

The campus includes:

• Health (nurse) stations — staffed by 4 nurses across the three divisions (Elementary, Early Childhood, High School)
• Cafeteria/food services — on-campus dining with hot meals available
• A school bus hub — supporting routes across most of Lima's residential districts via the Movilbus operator

Atmosphere and Community Feel

Press reports consistently describe FDR as the most exclusive and well-equipped school in Lima. The Infobae description — "campus de 9 hectáreas, piscina semiolímpica, laboratorios de ciencias, bibliotecas especializadas, auditorios" — captures the breadth of its offering. For families accustomed to top international schools in Asia or Europe, FDR's campus would feel immediately familiar and comparable in quality.

Admissions Culture at FDR

Admissions to the American School of Lima are openly competitive, reflecting the school's position as Lima's most prestigious international institution. The process is designed to identify students who are both academically prepared and linguistically ready to thrive in an English-medium environment.

Priority Criteria

The school's official admissions criteria establish a clear hierarchy of priority:

1. English-speaking candidates — those with demonstrated English proficiency receive first consideration
2. Siblings of current students — family continuity is valued
3. Expatriate families — reflecting the school's founding mission
4. Other qualified applicants — admitted subject to space and language readiness

This framework means that English proficiency is effectively a non-negotiable baseline for admission. Candidates who do not yet demonstrate sufficient English skills may be placed in EAL (English as an Additional Language) support, but the school's instruction is overwhelmingly in English (90–95% of classes), so placement is carefully managed.

Non-Discrimination Policy

At the same time, FDR explicitly states that admissions do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, or nationality. The school actively cultivates a multicultural student body — currently representing 41 nationalities — and its admissions decisions are designed to maintain a healthy balance between English- and Spanish-speaking students.

Application Timing and Process

• Applications are accepted year-round, with no single annual deadline
• For Peruvian residents, entry is restricted to semester starts (August or February) and is contingent on available places
• Expatriate families transferring mid-year may be considered at other times
• All required documents must be submitted before a decision is made
• A $500 non-refundable application fee is charged at the time of submission

Entrance Fee as a Signal of Selectivity

The one-time entrance fee of $19,500 — charged upon acceptance — functions as both a financial commitment signal and a funding mechanism for the Roosevelt Scholarship Program (7.5% of all entrance fees flow to the scholarship fund). This is a substantial upfront cost that naturally self-selects an affluent applicant pool, while simultaneously enabling socioeconomic diversity through the scholarship.

What Families Should Expect

Families applying to FDR should expect a process that is thorough and standards-based. Academic records from previous schools will be reviewed, English proficiency will be assessed (especially for non-native speakers), and grade-level readiness will be evaluated. There is no published acceptance rate, and the school does not publicly disclose application volumes — but given its reputation as Lima's most sought-after international school, demand is understood to consistently exceed capacity in most grade levels.

The Roosevelt Scholarship Program

In a school whose annual fees can reach nearly $20,000 and whose one-time entrance fee stands at $19,500, the Roosevelt Scholarship Program represents a meaningful institutional commitment to access and community investment. Established in 2013, the program awards full-tuition scholarships to outstanding students from metropolitan Lima who would otherwise have no pathway to FDR's educational environment.

Structure and Eligibility

• Target cohort: Outstanding 5th-grade students enrolled in modest-fee elementary schools in metropolitan Lima
• Selection criteria: Academic excellence combined with demonstrated financial need
• Duration: Students are admitted in Grade 6 and supported through graduation — a seven-year commitment
• Scope: Approximately 2 new scholars are admitted each year, depending on available funding
• Total recipients since inception: Over 20 students have received the scholarship, with multiple cohorts having graduated from FDR

Funding Mechanism

The program is funded by a dedicated 7.5% allocation of all entrance fees paid by newly enrolled students. This is an elegant structural solution: the financial capacity of FDR's affluent enrollment base directly subsidizes exceptional students from Lima's broader community. It is self-sustaining, growing modestly as enrollment continues, and does not rely on external donors or government support.

Community Impact

The Roosevelt Scholarship Program does more than provide financial access — it shapes the social composition and culture of FDR itself. Scholars bring academic drive and diverse perspectives from Lima's wider socioeconomic landscape into a school that might otherwise be exclusively international and elite. Their presence enriches classroom discussions, challenges assumptions, and reinforces the school's stated mission of developing socially responsible global citizens.

Graduates of the program have gone on to higher education, demonstrating that the investment in multi-year, comprehensive support (rather than one-time financial aid) produces durable outcomes.

Broader Community Culture

Beyond the scholarship program, FDR cultivates community through:

• "Condors Care" / "FDR Cares" initiatives — embedding service, ethics, and mutual support into school life
• Parent engagement — an active parent community involved in school governance and events
• The Condor Community — a deliberate identity built around multiculturalism and shared values across 41 nationalities

The combination of these programs makes FDR unusual among Lima's elite schools: it is simultaneously exclusive by academic standards and genuinely committed to community responsibility.

Academic Culture and Curriculum

The American School of Lima offers one of the most comprehensive and demanding academic programs of any school in Latin America. Its curriculum is deliberately multi-layered, combining four distinct frameworks:

1. U.S. College-Preparatory Diploma — the foundation of FDR's American identity, preparing students for admission to U.S. and international universities
2. Advanced Placement (AP) Courses — rigorous university-level courses recognized by U.S. colleges, including AP English, Biology, Calculus, and others
3. IB Diploma Programme — authorized since October 21, 1992, offering the globally recognized IB diploma with Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay requirements
4. Peruvian National Curriculum — integrated as required by Peruvian law, ensuring local compliance and recognition

Language of Instruction

Approximately 90–95% of instruction is delivered in English, establishing FDR firmly as an English-medium institution. Spanish is woven into the curriculum — both as a subject and as a partial medium of instruction in selected courses — reflecting Peru's national requirements and FDR's commitment to bilingual graduation. The result is graduates who are genuinely bilingual in English and Spanish, a significant advantage for careers in both international and Latin American contexts.

IB Authorization and Heritage

FDR's IB authorization since 1992 makes it one of the longest-standing IB World Schools in South America. The IB Diploma's emphasis on extended independent research, cross-disciplinary thinking, and community service aligns naturally with FDR's broader philosophical commitments to inquiry-based learning and global citizenship.

University Counseling

Dedicated university counseling is embedded in the high school experience. Counselors work with students on:

• Course planning aligned with target university requirements
• U.S. university application processes (Common App, SAT/ACT preparation)
• International and Peruvian university applications
• Scholarship and financial aid guidance

Graduates consistently gain admission to top U.S., UK, and Peruvian universities, though FDR does not publish specific destination data or acceptance rate statistics.

Assessment and Academic Standards

Assessment at FDR follows the frameworks of its respective curricula:

• IB internal and external assessments (IAs, Extended Essay, TOK essay)
• AP examinations (College Board)
• U.S.-style grading and GPA calculations
• Continuous formative assessment integrated throughout all grade levels

The Academic Calendar

The school follows a Northern-hemisphere academic calendar — an important distinction from Peruvian public schools:

• Semester 1: Early August to mid-December
• Semester 2: Late February to late June
• Summer break: July (aligned with Northern hemisphere norms)

This calendar is essential for families with children who may be transitioning to or from schools in the U.S., Europe, or other international contexts.

Philosophy and Educational Approach

The American School of Lima (Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt) operates under a clear and ambitious mission: "to empower our students to pursue their passion for learning, lead lives of integrity, and create socially responsible solutions." This statement is not mere marketing language — it reflects the school's deliberate design of its academic programs, campus culture, and community engagement initiatives.

Inquiry-Based and Experiential Learning

At FDR, teaching methodology is explicitly dynamic, experiential, and inquiry-based. Rather than rote instruction, faculty are trained to encourage critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and self-directed exploration. High school students, in particular, are guided to explore their identity alongside academic content — the school's own language describes the high school experience as an invitation "to explore who they are."

This philosophical framework is reinforced by the school's adoption of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, authorized since October 1992. The IB's Theory of Knowledge course and Extended Essay requirement naturally embed philosophical reflection and independent research into the senior years, pushing students to question assumptions and synthesize knowledge across disciplines.

Bilingualism as a Core Value

FDR's bilingual identity (English/Spanish) is not simply a practical concession to the Peruvian national curriculum — it is a philosophical commitment to intercultural understanding. Approximately 90–95% of instruction is delivered in English, but Spanish is woven meaningfully into the program. The school deliberately balances English- and Spanish-speaking students in its admissions process, reflecting its belief that a truly bilingual community is an educational asset in itself.

This approach produces graduates who are genuinely bicultural and bilingual, capable of navigating both Anglo-American professional environments and Latin American society with equal fluency.

Global Citizenship and Social Responsibility

Beyond academic achievement, FDR nurtures a sense of global citizenship and social responsibility. The "Condors Care" and "FDR Cares" initiatives embed community service and ethical awareness into school life. The Roosevelt Scholarship Program — established in 2013 — is perhaps the most concrete institutional expression of this philosophy: the school funds full tuition for outstanding students from modest-fee elementary schools in metropolitan Lima, investing 7.5% of all entrance fees into the program. This is a meaningful structural commitment, not a symbolic gesture.

College Preparation With Purpose

FDR's college-preparatory curriculum — combining the U.S. high school diploma, AP courses, and the IB Diploma — is designed not merely to secure university admission, but to produce graduates who are intellectually equipped and ethically grounded for the challenges of higher education and beyond. Counselors work directly with students on university planning, addressing applications to U.S., Peruvian, and international institutions.

In summary, FDR's philosophy is a coherent blend of academic rigor, bilingual identity, experiential learning, and social conscience — making it one of the most philosophically deliberate international schools in Latin America.